Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-10-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.
IFrOn our regular eorrs.Dopd,nl.l

lRron our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, D. c. Oct. 8, 1887.
Perhaps I could not better begin this
letter than by giving a brief descrip-
ton OF the elegantly appointed and
equipped train that is bearing the
Presidential party on their great
Western and Southern tour, about
which so much has been said and
written. The train consists Of three
Pullman cars, connected In such q way
that one can walk from one end to the
other without opening q door or being
exposed TO the weather or other dis
discomforts, and the coaches are richly
and fashionably furnished and uphol-
stered-among the articles being q
beautiful bedroom, center-table, in
laid writing desk, sofas, rocking chairs,
barber chairs, and several large mir
rors-to say nothing Of bath room
and smoking compartment, and TO cap
the climax, the cars are heated by
steam from the locomotive and furn-
ished with electric lights from the
same source. Washington has GER
tainly never before seen such a splen-
didly outfitted train. Geo. M. Pull
man gave, his personal attention to the
details and the outfit is said to repre-
sent capital of $200,0O0, and it is
further stated that the President will
be at an expense of SIC, 900 for the trip.
The party consisted of the President
and Mrs. Cleveland, Private Secretary
Lamont, two or three personal friends
of Mr.. Cleveland, and three representa-
uves of the press. A great crowd as
sembled at the Baltimore and Potomac
depot to see the distinguished travel
ers depart-Secretaries Bayard, Endi-
colt and Whitney being of the number.
The floral favors to Mrs. Cleveland
were lavish and rarely beautiful.
An important act of the President
before leaving was the appointment of
Secretary Bayard and Messrs. VIM. L..
Putnam, of Maine. and James B.
Angel, of Michigan, to act as Com
missioners in the adjustment of the
question of the fisheries troubles with
our northern neighbors. All of these
gentlemen have had sufficient diplo-
matte training in positions of public
trust to warrant the belief that If q
satisfactory settlement of the inter-
national controversy is possible, the
country may confidently expect such a
result at their hands-a consummation
devoutly to be wished.
At the last Cabinet meeting the
financial situation was exhaustively
discussed, with the purpose to provide
against possible recurrence of the
recent stringency in the commercial
world, and decided difference of
opinion was developed regarding the
authority Of the Secretary Of the Treas
ury to purchase bonds not required for
the sinking fund-the result being that
it was determined to refer the matter
to the decision of the Attorney Gener-
al, in case there should apparently
arise the necessity of such action on
the part of the Secretary, to relieve the
money market.
Itappears that the monetary alarm
was more matter of Imagination than
reality, generally speaking, for the very
simple reason that the volume of cur
rency was increased seventy-five mil
lion dollars last year, which goes to
show that the business interests of the
country are in healthy condition.
It is calculated at the Treasury that
the Government has saved in interest
by the prepayment of bonds under the
circular of last month the handsome
sum of $3 200, ,000-not to mention the
probably immense financial losses it
prevented individuals from suffering.
The Naval Board has concluded to
construct at Norfolk the 5000 ton bat
tie ship, authorized by the act of Con-
gress, at the cost of So, ,376, 900, which is
$125,000 dollars less than the appropria-
ton provides. 1t will take about
eighteen months to finish the work on
this great monster of the deep.
The organization ~of department
clerks into State Associations, of which
there are several, has been the occa-
sion of one of the most sensational
episodes of the present Administrator
These organizations partake of a po-
litical as well as social character
the real object being to protect the
members in their official positions.
On being invited to address the Illinois
Democratic Association, Civil Service
Commissioner Oberly not only declined
to accept the compliment, but wrote
the suckers" long letter, informing
them that the existence of their AS
sociation is violation of the Civil
Service act, and admonishing the mem
bers that for such infraction they are
liable to the penalties of the law.